From WDW to DL With Love - January 06, 2011 part 2

[Aunt KatKat]

I plan to go down to the port and stare at the ship untill they let me on board.

Katherine

Get your rental car, collect your luggage, have something to eat, drive to cocoa Beach. Stop at the Manatee viewing park, just after you come down into cocoa, it's on the right. Visit Ron Jons. Dump family and luggage at port, return the rental car.

It's entirely possible LindaBabe suggestion is more useful than mine.

Katherine

 

[WDW Princess 71]

Very excited-just booked flight to Florida. Had enough credit card points to get 4 first class tickets through Alaska Airlines! Now just have to figure out what we are going to do between 7:16 am and when we can get on board. Any thoughts?

If you want to get on the ship early, you also have the option of not really doing anything to kill time. Are you renting a car? If so, by the time you collect luggage and get the car, it will probably be about 8:00 AM. On my cruise last month, we were at WDW and left about 8:00 AM to head to the port. We stopped at the supermarket and liquor store on the way to pick up some goodies, then returned the rental car and took the shuttle to the port. So with the 1 hour or so drive, plus the pit stops, plus returning the car, it was after 10 by the time we got to th port, got there right when it opened, and got low boarding number. True, after that you have to kill time waiting in the terminal, but I'm alway too excited to notice, and the time seems to fly by. I just love being there super early, getting on and having early lunch, then heading straight to the adult pool to really enjoy it nearly empty for the first couple hours, its heavenly!

 

[ACDSNY]

Wow you guys and gals are a chatty bunch...we went away to Kauai for a lovely sunny week and came back to find I'm over 15 pages behind.

Des, sending prayers to you and your family for your loss.

We're going to DL too after the cruise. It's almost time to call and set up our VGC reservation on Sunday.

Angela

 

[Aunt KatKat]

. It's almost time to call and set up our VGC reservation on Sunday.

Angela

What does this mean in english?

Katherine

"It's uncanny, you people have a different word for everything!"

Bonus point: name that reference!

Katherine

 

[ACDSNY]

What does this mean in english?

Katherine

"It's uncanny, you people have a different word for everything!"

Bonus point: name that reference!

Katherine

Sorry...VGC = Villas Grand Californian. I'll be trying for a 2 bedroom unit for the 4 of us adults.

 

[tinkryansmom]

Hey All! Been away - laptop crashed - catching back up now......

We might be in for zip lines and horseback riding depending upon care for DD3.5 I don't think I would feel right leaving her in a club but since we are sailing with cousins perhaps something can be worked out.

Also someone mentioned bracelets.???? Can you fill me in??

Welcome to all the new cruisers!! I am in awe of those of you already booking air, cars and hotels!!

 

[Shoshie]

I have paid for round trip ground transport because we'll be going from POR to the ship.

Can we take the DCL coach to LAX if we don't have a flight booked?

Will we be able to take our luggage off the coach ourselves?

We can take the flyaway from LAX to the valley for $7 pp.

My only experience with the DCL coach is in Canaveral

 

[aan1701]

I have paid for round trip ground transport because we'll be going from POR to the ship.

Can we take the DCL coach to LAX if we don't have a flight booked?

Will we be able to take our luggage off the coach ourselves?

We can take the flyaway from LAX to the valley for $7 pp.

My only experience with the DCL coach is in Canaveral

Yes you can. Since I live right by LAX in Westchester the two times I have goten off the Magic in the port of Los Angeles, I have used the bus to come back to LAX.

 

[orlandothebeagle]

I stayed at the Radisson in January 2009 and thought it was great. Ample parking, awesome pool area, decent food onsite and nearby. We had dinner at Grills and got to watch the Magic and other ships go by while eating outside on the deck, it was awesome, and only 5 mins from the Radisson. Rooms were spacious, I wasnt crazy about the sleep number beds, I find them more annoying than comfortable. But in summary I would definitely stay at the Radisson again for another cruise if I'm not at WDW beforehand. For this cruise I'm planning to stay in WDW for a few days first.



I have the exact same question. The PV one sounds great, but I would like to be able to compare it to the Costa Rican one too. I might also like to see what else there is to do in both ports so that would aid in the decision too.

We've been staying at the Radisson before cruises for years. Great spot, terrific staff, lovely pool! Go to the lobby bar at night...the bartenders are a blast!

raddison it is.

I have promised my horse obsessed daughter that I would try and take her horseback riding on the beach.

Does anyone know where that might be done? I was thinking Cabo.

Katherine

Dear Katherine.
Please dont think I am miss miserable knickers but re the horse thing.

I have seen some pretty scabby looking horses on beaches, mind and check it out and also try and check with someone that has been before,some I admitt are really good.
On our last cruise, 7 day western I cant mind what port, one of my friends had horse back riding booked, Now my first worry was the flies, I cant stand them, I was worried they would bother the kids, that turned out NOT to be the worry cause it was terrible terrible rain, now that in itself is horrible, but the horses(obviously) kept trying to dive for cover underneath the trees! even worse, It was NOT good situation for them, but ofcourse, they were paying anyway and they thought it would have been cancelled, but it wasnt, no real reason, it was just rain.they were miserable when they got back to the magic.
Again, Im sorry to be negative, just you know, It may just be perfect, but If I was presented with some of the scabby poor horses Ive seen over the years, I would be gutted never mind the rain and the getting heads taken off with branches.I have to say again though, It may be wondefull.

On a plus side, I have a brilliant fat child friendly shetland ponyand a big canny black and white number, If you ever want to go riding in Scotland, I would be more than happy to take you all.

 

[Bookwood]

re raddisn at the port, we kinda booked this as as fall back, never been before, actually like the look of it.
I was thinking about upgrading to suite, what the heck,
I like the bubble pool in the bedroom, what do you guys think of the raddison?

I loved the Raddison- we stayed last May- pools are great, laundry facilities are good, and the Mother's day brunch (our cruise left on Mothers day) was good- although a little expensive. The only downside (and the reason we aren't staying there in Jan) is lack of transportation to someplace other than Kelseys (next door and quite walkable) to eat. DH wasn't impressed and since we won't have a car this time we're staying at WDW the night before.

 

[orlandothebeagle]

I loved the Raddison- we stayed last May- pools are great, laundry facilities are good, and the Mother's day brunch (our cruise left on Mothers day) was good- although a little expensive. The only downside (and the reason we aren't staying there in Jan) is lack of transportation to someplace other than Kelseys (next door and quite walkable) to eat. DH wasn't impressed and since we won't have a car this time we're staying at WDW the night before.

Yip, I think it is settlend we are staying here.

 

[orlandothebeagle]

How will I be able to get to my cousins in thousand Oaks??
4 of us?
Is it easy to hire car at port and return it to lax?
He only has regular car so he wont be able to pick us up.

 

[WDW Princess 71]

raddison it is.


Dear Katherine.
Please dont think I am miss miserable knickers but re the horse thing.

I have seen some pretty scabby looking horses on beaches, mind and check it out and also try and check with someone that has been before,some I admitt are really good.
On our last cruise, 7 day western I cant mind what port, one of my friends had horse back riding booked, Now my first worry was the flies, I cant stand them, I was worried they would bother the kids, that turned out NOT to be the worry cause it was terrible terrible rain, now that in itself is horrible, but the horses(obviously) kept trying to dive for cover underneath the trees! even worse, It was NOT good situation for them, but ofcourse, they were paying anyway and they thought it would have been cancelled, but it wasnt, no real reason, it was just rain.they were miserable when they got back to the magic.
Again, Im sorry to be negative, just you know, It may just be perfect, but If I was presented with some of the scabby poor horses Ive seen over the years, I would be gutted never mind the rain and the getting heads taken off with branches.I have to say again though, It may be wondefull.

On a plus side, I have a brilliant fat child friendly shetland ponyand a big canny black and white number, If you ever want to go riding in Scotland, I would be more than happy to take you all.

I have had experience with this too. I did horseback riding on the beach at an all-inclusive resort in Punta Cana, and while it was fun because I had never gone horseback riding at all let alone on a beautiful beach, the horses were pretty bad looking, very thin and frail and sad looking being cooped up in a certain area on the beach all day between rides. It was just sad to witness. I dont think I'll ever do it again after that.

 

[orlandothebeagle]

I see there is an enetrprise car hire, but not a function to do one way rentals on the web site, thats annoying, number to call, but....... thats a pain and they wouldnt understand me anyay.

 

[WDW Princess 71]

I see there is an enetrprise car hire, but not a function to do one way rentals on the web site, thats annoying, number to call, but....... thats a pain and they wouldnt understand me anyay.

I always do Hertz. You can do one-ways with Hertz online.

 

[orlandothebeagle]

I always do Hertz. You can do one-ways with Hertz online.

Is there a hertz at the port?

I cant find the address
but I can be pretty thick sometimes!

 

[carmie3377]

oops, was posting about car rentals in PC, not LA

Guess I should have read more closely!

 

[WDW Princess 71]

I just called and there isnt a Hertz at the port, but right nearby. They have a free shuttle. The info is:

1939 Pacific Coast Highway HLE
Address: 1939 Pacific Coast Highway
Lomita, California,
United States
Phone: 310-891-3061

They also said if there is a long wait for the shuttle (this happened to me in PC on my last cruise, waited nearly 45 mins), then you can take a cab for about $15 to the Hertz facility.

 

[Aunt KatKat]

raddison it is.


Dear Katherine.
Please dont think I am miss miserable knickers but re the horse thing.

I have seen some pretty scabby looking horses on beaches, mind and check it out and also try and check with someone that has been before,some I admitt are really good.
On our last cruise, 7 day western I cant mind what port, one of my friends had horse back riding booked, Now my first worry was the flies, I cant stand them, I was worried they would bother the kids, that turned out NOT to be the worry cause it was terrible terrible rain, now that in itself is horrible, but the horses(obviously) kept trying to dive for cover underneath the trees! even worse, It was NOT good situation for them, but ofcourse, they were paying anyway and they thought it would have been cancelled, but it wasnt, no real reason, it was just rain.they were miserable when they got back to the magic.
Again, Im sorry to be negative, just you know, It may just be perfect, but If I was presented with some of the scabby poor horses Ive seen over the years, I would be gutted never mind the rain and the getting heads taken off with branches.I have to say again though, It may be wondefull.

On a plus side, I have a brilliant fat child friendly shetland ponyand a big canny black and white number, If you ever want to go riding in Scotland, I would be more than happy to take you all.

I have had experience with this too. I did horseback riding on the beach at an all-inclusive resort in Punta Cana, and while it was fun because I had never gone horseback riding at all let alone on a beautiful beach, the horses were pretty bad looking, very thin and frail and sad looking being cooped up in a certain area on the beach all day between rides. It was just sad to witness. I dont think I'll ever do it again after that.

Lynne and Nicole,

Ugh with a side order of Oi! This stuff never occurs to me, but of course the care of the horses is an issue. It would break dd heart to see mistreated animals.

This is so typical of me. A certain blindness to what is right in front of me. Our first cruise I planned for our family to attend 10:00 am mass in Key West, I got the zip code, found the church, I planned for everything except for the fact the BOAT WOULDN'T BE THERE UNTIL NOON!

Ugh! On another note, I told dh we have to go to Scotland now. He asked, "why?" I answered, "Because I've been offered animals for dc to ride!"

Katherine

 

[JenKatt]

I've had the exact opposite with horses on beach. we went riding in Grand Cayman in 2004 and had the most wonderful and well cared for horses. same thing in Costa Maya (first time disney went there).
We've never used Disney for the excursions, always on our own with a small company. You need to do a fair amount of research to look into the company and what people say about them.